Wednesday, August 19, 2009

The befitting end to those who sell their religion for miserable worldly benefits.

KOHAT: Four tribesmen were killed by militants of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in Upper Orakzai on Tuesday for ‘spying’ for security agencies.

Sources told Dawn that the bodies of the tribesmen were found in the agency’s Anjani area with a note warning that any person cooperating with the government against the TTP would meet the same fate.

In another incident, the Haidri Taliban claimed to have killed a man whose body was found in Lakhti Banda in Hangu district. The man was accused of running a brothel.

According to police, a note found with the body of Arbab Ali of Ganjiano Kalay threatened members of his family that if they did not stop the un-Islamic business they would also be killed.

Meanwhile, two tribesmen were killed and four others injured in a clash in Storikhel between associates of Hakeemullah Mehsud, the Taliban commander for Orakzai, Kurram and Khyber agencies, and tribesmen.

Sources said the tribesmen had started confronting the Taliban after hearing about the death of Baitullah Mehsud.

Tribal elders have complained that the government is not helping them with arms and ammunition to fight the militants who are heavily armed and have huge resources.

It may be mentioned that tribesmen had formed militias to take on TTP men but suspended their activities after a suicide attack on a jirga last year in which 136 elders were killed and 50 injured.

In another development, tribesmen blew up the under-construction headquarters of Hakeemullah Mehsud after a clash with militants in Anjani area of Orakzai.

Official sources said that two militants, one from South Waziristan and the other from Swat, were killed. The tribesmen captured a militant who had been injured.